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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

29th October

I am glad this Hermit wasn’t a recluse.

Yes that is right a mega on mainland Cornwall. It was Sally’s birthday and it was going to be a day doing things she wanted to do. Things were going smoothly, we’d bought some rolls for a picnic lunch (no I am not a cheap-scape dinner is this evening). The phone rang as we were heading down Kenijack Valley, it was Dave. Now if he is calling it means something worth while is in the area. I pulled over at the side of the road by the sewage treatment works. He said “did you get my message” I said know, the signal in the valley’s is non-exisitent. He then uttered the words that totally changed my plans “Hermit Thrush Porthgwarra”. After a brief conversation I hung up, Sally said “ what is it” Hermit Thrush in Porthgwara not that she knew what one of those is but she new it was important. “We had better head there then” she said. Not being one to argue I turned the car around let the Land Rover Discovery go past, the driver had the same kind of expression I had. I new he had to be a birder and his next destination was going to be the same as mine. I couldn’t keep up at first but by the time I reached the houses in Portgwarra he was only just in front of me. We drove past a small group of birders peering into the small copse. I am glad we had got there within an hour of the news braking. I do hate big twitches. The little thrush didn’t disappoint and showed within 1 minute of me arriving at the small gathering. I enjoyed good views of it foraging on the ground before it hopped up into a wild privet and picked off the berries in a flycatcher fashion. I didn’t push Sally’s kind gesture and was back with her within 30 minutes and off to enjoy the rest of the day with her. As we drove back down the lane almost every car heading towards the valley contained birders.

A Shag had to take evasive action time after time.

A flock of Oystercatchers watch from a safe spot

So the wind has brought the first mega. Even without a yank turning up the sea watching has been quite rewarding, this morning at Pendeen being know different to the previous couple of days.

Sooty Shearwater: 4

Balearic Shearwater: 58

Manx Shearwater: 32

Great Skua: 38

Pomarine Skua: 12

Arctic Skua: 24

Long-tailed Skua: 1

Arctic Tern: 1

Also seen 1000’s of Gannets, Auks and 100’s of Kittiwakes, I could locate the 2 Grey Phalaropes that flew past.